When angels go clackity-clack

The young women across from me on the train cried into her mobile phone. I didn’t know the reason, her language being far different from mine. With nowhere to hide her emotion, she peered into the dark window, night just beyond the glass, and used her own reflection to wipe the mascara from beneath her eyes.

Image by MichelKuik via Flickr

She reminded me of someone that I once knew briefly, but intimately. I couldn’t recall her name, only her face; enough that I was drawn to her despite the language, culture, and age differences between us.

When I could see that her call had ended, I asked, “Are you okay?”

She looked at me quizzically, translating my words into her own language, then answered, “Yes, yes,” shrugging off the question from a stranger, as we are all prone to do.

“I don’t have your answer, don’t even need to know about your struggle, sometimes just being asked if you’re okay is all you need,” I added.

Her guard receded and she admitted, “Yes, you’re right.”

I bowed my head to her as a sign that I had nothing more to say. As I returned to my book a thought occurred to me: often in my life an angel has appeared, ever so briefly, when I’m struggling. However, times had been much worse than this; I didn’t feel the need for relief or attention. I simply needed time to think about the course of my life over the past month.
And then it hit me: I’m her angel. Yes. Exactly. The edges of my mouth curled up secretly and I felt the flood of karmic warmth fill my soul. It felt good; a moment of warmth in what had become my own chilly departure.

Ten minutes later the train stopped and we went our separate ways only to take two different routes to the next train’s platform. As she lit up a cigarette I knew who she reminded me of: someone that once told me she never planned on living very long.

Feeding Chocolate to Angels

Einstein said,

Image by brylyn via Flickr

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

I like what Einstein said and I thank my Emergent Thought Group for sharing this little nugget of wisdom. What I really like about it is that Mother Nature is a real nasty mofo. "The whole of nature in its beauty" isn't all about sitting around in the golden sunshine and feeding chocolate to angels, nature's theme is survival, is it not? A mighty oak is mighty because it survived, it earned its mighty nature. The Grand Canyon is grand because of persistence over time. The Bald Eagle is bald because it mates for life... oh, wait... never mind (oh, you all know I'm a HUGE fan of true love)... the Great Plains are great because they're the plainest of the plain.

I think you get my drift. Though you might first see Einstein's quote as peace, love and granola, I see it as something entirely different--something real.

And so, I conclude by leaving you with another great quote, this one by Jody Watley,

"Real love. I know I wanna have one. Real love. Gonna try and get some."

Who wants to join me in the fight for survival of the lovest?